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Advance and Progress of Fiber-Reinforced Polymers in Reinforcing and Strengthening Concrete Structures II

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Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are increasingly being used in the global construction industry. Corrosion resistance and high strength to weight ratio are two of the main features that encourage the use of FRP materials in concrete structures. FRPs in the form of rods are used in reinforcing structural members in concrete buildings, bridges, parking garages, etc. FRP sheets/plates are also used for the external strengthening of various members of different concrete structures. With the progression of research over the last two decades, more understanding and confidence have been acquired regarding the behavior of FRP materials as internal or external reinforcements. This Special Issue aims to compile the most recent advances in these areas, and as such, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Flexural behavior of FRP-reinforced/-strengthened RC members;
Shear behavior of FRP-reinforced/-strengthened RC members;
FRP as longitudinal and/or transverse reinforcements in concrete compression members;
FRP for concrete confinement;
FRP-prestressed concrete;
Seismic retrofitting of RC members using FRP;
Long-term performance of FRP-reinforced/-strengthened RC members;
Analytical and numerical models for improving design practices of FRP-reinforced/-strengthened RC members.

Dr. Ahmed K. El-Sayed
Guest Editor

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Keywords

FRP
concrete
strengthening
debonding
fastenings/anchorages
experimental studies
design methods
numerical models
safety and reliability

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4770 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Compressive Performance of Longitudinal Steel-FRP Composite Bars in Concrete Cylinders Confined by Different Type of FRP Composites

by Maojun Duan, Yu Tang, Yusheng Wang, Yang Wei and Jiaqing Wang

Polymers 2023, 15(20), 4051; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15204051 - 11 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 826

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study on the compressive performance of longitudinal steel-fiber-reinforced polymer composite bars (SFCBs) in concrete cylinders confined by different type of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Three types of concrete cylinders reinforced with (or without) longitudinal SFCBs and different transverse FRP confinements were tested under monotonic compression. The results showed that the post-yield stiffness of SFCBs is higher when confined with high elastic modulus carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite than with low elastic modulus basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) composite. Decreasing confinement spacing did not significantly improve the compressive strength of SFCBs in concrete cylinders. The compressive failure strain of SFCBs could possibly reach 88% of its tensile peak strain in concrete cylinders confined by CFRP sheets, which is significantly higher than the value (around 50%) in previous studies. Existing design equations, which applied a strength reduction factor or a maximum compressive strain of concrete to consider the compressive contributions of SFCBs in concrete members, underestimate the load-carrying capacity of SFCB-reinforced concrete cylinders. The design equation that considers the actual compressive stress of SFCBs gives the most accurate prediction; however, its applicability and accuracy need to be verified with more experimental data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance and Progress of Fiber-Reinforced Polymers in Reinforcing and Strengthening Concrete Structures II)

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20 pages, 25518 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Low-Shrinkage-Lightweight Engineered Cementitious Composite Based on Heavily Doped Zeolites

by Yue Wang, Rongxin Guo, Dian Guan, Zhiqiang Luo, Ziqi Zhang and Runsheng Lin

Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3474; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15163474 - 19 Aug 2023

Viewed by 864

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing utilization of lightweight engineered cementitious composites (LECC) for the reinforcement and restoration of contemporary building structures. This study focuses on the incorporation of zeolite, serving as an internal reservoir for moisture maintenance, and examines its impact on various performance indicators, including apparent density, compressive strength, tensile strength, and autogenous shrinkage. Additionally, the influence of zeolite on the tensile and ductile properties of LECC is elucidated with the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The findings reveal that the addition of zeolite enables the preservation of excellent mechanical properties of LECC while further reducing its density. Notably, the introduction of a substantial amount of zeolite leads to a decrease in matrix density, average crack width, and ultimate tensile strain. The ultimate tensile strain exceeds 8% to reach 8.1%, while the decrease in compressive and tensile strengths is marginal. Zeolite’s internal curing capability facilitates the complete hydration of unhydrated cement, concurrently alleviating the autogenous shrinkage of LECC. Consequently, the durability and reliability of the material are enhanced. The ability of zeolite, with its porous framework structure, to significantly improve the ultimate tensile strain of the matrix can be attributed to the amplified occurrence of active defects and a shift in the pull-out mode of PE fibers from “pull-out” to “pull-through”. This study presents a promising alternative material in the field of engineering, holding potential for diverse building and infrastructure projects, as it enhances their durability and reliability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance and Progress of Fiber-Reinforced Polymers in Reinforcing and Strengthening Concrete Structures II)

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